Artistic Digitizer – what’s next?

So you got your code to try this fantastic embroidery software for free, you had fun trying it out various techniques and embroidery ideas using the information here on Janomelife and on the Artistic Digitizer Facebook Group page ………so what’s next now that the free trial period is over?

You will have seen during your free trial of the software that:

• Artistic Digitizer is very user friendly
• it contains a comprehensive package of features to expand your embroidery to higher levels
• it can be used with ALL our Janome embroidery machines (and also with other brands as the softeware contains most embroidery formats)
• there is plenty support for continuing the learning process with this software….built-in videos; janomelife posts, dedicated Artistic Digitizer facebook group (with videos and expert support for queries)

Check out the Artistic Digitizer Facebook page if you have not already done so. 

So what’s next?     Extended Sale Offer on Artistic Digitizer in Canada 
Thank you to all who particpated in the free trial offer; we know you’ve had a great time exploring all the creative possibilities Janome Artistic Digitizer has to offer. With the advanced editing features and in-depth tutorials, this intuitive designer software program has helped you create and embellish projects with ease.
For those who missed the free trial offer, you now have opportunity to buy this creative software and save $100 off the regular Artistic Digitizer price. Some dealers may sell for less.  More info here.

Instagram Live schedule for this week June 1-5

We have an Instagram Live EVERYDAY for you this week…. Maybe you’d like to set alarms on your phone so you don’t forget to watch! 

PLEASE note that the time EVERY DAY will be 1pm Eastern on the applicable IG page as listed below. 

Monday 1st June: Janomeman continues with his very informative A-Z series @JanomeHQ Instagram page. Today is the letter J – all about Janome needles and bobbins

 

Tuesday 2nd June: Amanda talks about the narrow hem foot D on @janomecanada  Instagram page – how to use that D foot which comes with most of our Janome machines to achieve a neat, narrow hem.

 

Wednesday 3rd June:  @janomeHQ      Janomeman is back with the letter K in his A-Z series. Today he will talk about category K – Sergers in the Janome Accessories Guide. He will explain how to use this guide, how to find presser feet and accessories for each type of machine and also offer an overview of Janome sergers.

Thursday 4th June: Janomeman is back again on @JanomeCanada to tell us all about the blind or invisible foot: Janome foot G + Overedge/Overcasting feet C and M. Learn tips and tricks about sewing with these 3 feet. 

Friday 5th June:  @JanomeHG Janomeman has the next letter in his A-Z series L with info about the L1 and L2 Beading feet. NOT just for beading so be sure to tune in to get the scoop.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO NOTE:

• We’d love you to tune in each day this week at 1pm on either @janomecanada or @janomehq – as listed above – as you get the chance to ask questions and see it LIVE.
• However, if you cannot make it at 1pm or you miss the Live, it DOES get posted almost immediatedly to the applicable Instagram page with the little IGTV logo (TV with antenna) The video will stay here for a long as we keep it there so come back and watch anytime.
• AND, it will also be posted to either the Janome Life or Janome HQ You Tube Channels. Just give us a bit of time to transfer, edit and upload to You Tube.

If you are not sure about how to tune in to an Instagram Live, please check out this link. (scroll down for step by step instructions). It is easer than you think!

 

 

 

 

SUNDAY SEWING: Embroidered table napkins

As seen recently on Instagram Live and also on Janome Sewing Machines Facebook Live. I promised I would provide the  written instructions with pics.

The video of the Instagram Live is also available if you have not yet watched it or want to watch it again while you make this project. Just go to Janome Canada Instagram page and scroll down to the photo that shows the little redwork flower pot and IGTV icon. Click and watch the video. It will also be posted shortly to You Tube on the Janome Life channel (Instagram Live playlist).

1. I am sewing  on the Janome MC15000 for this project BUT the project can be made on ANY of our embroidery machines so long as you have a hoop large enough to group and stitch 4 designs in the centre of the hoop. I could have used the SQ14 hoop and used less stabilizer but I find the SQ23 hoop easier.
2. SIZE of design: depending on the size of the little embroidery you are going to stitch in the one corner of a napkin, will determine the hoop size. I chose the little redwork flower pot in the FA section of the Mc15000 and the minimum hoop side for that was around 4-5 inches square – so SQ14 could work. So could the RE18 and SQ23 hoops.
3. Cross stitch monograms  on napkins – these are also built-in designs on the MC15000 – also in the FA hoop section. I stitched in silver metallic thread. Have used other small designs as will show another sample a bit later in the process.
   
4. Thread choice: I used Madeira metalllic for the silver monograms above and polyester embroidery thread for the redwork and flowers. Madeira polyneon is one of the thread brands that we distribute in Canada. I wound a bobbin with the SAME red poly embroidery thread >>> reversible embroidery as this is a napkin which people could turn over to the back! If more than 1 colour in the design: then you will need to wind a bobbin for each of the colours and change both needle thread and bobbin each colour change – to make a reversible embroidery.
   

   Madeira polyneon thread

5. Red tip needle  
6. Stabilizer: do you want to pick out little bits of tearaway from the back of your napkins? No? neither do I so a water soluble stabilizer is my preference here. Tearaway will work but then you will have the get all those bits out. On a redwork design – no way. Something more dense with not so many little edges and in-between bits not stitched – maybe.
7. Bobbin case – yellow dot. What is the difference between the yellow dot bobbin case and the one with the red marking?  Strictly speaking if you are using Janome pre-wound bobbins, you don’t really need to use the yellow dot. If you wound them yourself, yes you do. However, the higher tension pulls the thread to the back more so on something like this napkin or a quilting -in-the-hoop project, we really don’t want that extra build up of thread on the back so the regular red bobbin case would work here – especially if you follow my advice and have a bobbin thread the same as the needle thread.
   

PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS:

• Hoop the water soluble stabilizer Not the fabric.
• Draw a line vertically and horizontally right across the MIDDLE of the hoop with a marking pen. Line a ruler up with the corresponding markings on each side of the hoop.
• Clamp the magnets onto the hoop to secure the stabilizer if the hoop uses magnets

Prepare the fabric:

• poly blend or 100% cotton. For 2 of my sets of napkins I used 100% cotton about 22 inches square – ie I used half the width of the fabric – so I could get 8 napkins out of 22 inches of fabric with a width of 44 inches. The light tan coloured fabric with the red work flower pots was a bit bigger at 28/29 inches square.
• At the iron: fold the fabric in half vertically with the wrong side of the fabric on the outside. and press a good crease. Fold in half again and press so that you have a vertical and horizontal crease across the middle of your big fabric square. You can mark this with an erasable marking pen if you prefer.
• Spray the stabilizer in the hoop with a little Artistic Tack adhesive spray.
  
• Lay fabric over the hoop and line up the folds with markings made previously on the stabilizer.

Set up the machine for your embroidery:

• Attach the P embroidery foot on the machine.
• Insert a new red tip needle.
• Thread up the needle and insert the bobbin with same red thread.
• Open the embroidery arm
• Go to embroidery mode and EDIT screen
• Select Hoop size as SQ23 (Or hoop size you have decided to use)
• Touch the house icon bottom left on the screen and the flower icon to go to built -in embroidery designs
• Select FA hoop design category
• Select design of your choice – we are using the redwork flowerpot # 6 – It will come into the centre of the edit screen
• Rotate the design by 45 degrees clockwise using the rotate icon. OK
• Move this design into the top right quadrant of the hoop and position it 2 blocks up and 2 blocks to the right. Use the stylus pen or the jog key arrows to do this.
• Now select the Cornering icon on the right hand side of the edit screen. Scroll down to get to it.
• Voila! You now have 4 flower pots perfectly mirrored from the centre and you are ready to embroider. If your embroidery machines does not have the cornering icon, simply copy and paste and rotate/mirror the designs until you have 4 mirrored exactly around the centre of the fabric.
• Press OK to go to the Ready to sew screen.
• Attach the hoop with fabric that was lightly glued in place.
• BASTE the fabric to the stabilizer using the Trace & baste function. Remember to use the tip I showed about how to pull up bobbin thread: press start TWICE so that the needle stops in top right corner before starting to baste. Use needle up/down TWICE to bring up the bobbin thread. Hold both threads and press start again to baste. This helps “catch” the bobbin thread which needs a little help as the stitch for basting is long and has a very loose tension  – which is what you want in order to easily remove the basting later.
• Touch cross hair so you can follow the progress of the embroidery.
• It is just under 4000 stitches and 6 mins of embroidery.
• Press Start to set machine going. Change both bobbin and needle thread colours each time if you have more than 1 colour in your design.

How to finish the napkins once the embroidery is completed:

• Cut down the centre vertical and horizontal with a rotary cutter and ruler which you pressed before the embroidery.
• You will now have 4 table napkins with raw edges.
• End off these edges: you could use the narrow hem/rolled hem foot to make a narrow hem  check out this link. We have an Instagram Live this week on Thursday 4th June about how to use the Janome Narrow hem foot D. Watch at 1pm Eastern @janomecanada
• OR you could serge a rolled hem around the edge with your Janome serger.

Have fun creating personalized monogrammed  or embellished napkins for  your home or as special gifts for friends and family.

Sunday Sewing? ……..what are you up to today? 

Sewing a test garment (and the ongoing search for the perfect tunic dress)

Here’s a great Saturday sewing project idea from Janome Canada artisan, Trina:

There are several different ways to approach apparel sewing but what it really comes down to is whether you want to test out a pattern and sizing, or if you want to just dive right in. I admit, I’m usually that person who falls into the second camp. Just get in there and make the pattern! But after some failed attempts that resulted in a final product that doesn’t fit, to the point that they aren’t wearable, I’ve tried to become a bit more savvy before cutting into what is sometimes some precious (and not inexpensive) fabric.

There are generally two ways to do a test run of a pattern. Creating a muslin is a great way to test a pattern. Muslin is an inexpensive fabric, usually very thin. When sewing a muslin you only need to use the essential fabric pieces so that you can best gauge the fit of a garment. In fact, generally a muslin is assembled using pins or a basting stitch. Secondly, you can also choose to do a test garment. When using this method, you  generally use an inexpensive fabric or something that you have on hand but it isn’t the final fabric you would choose for your garment.

If you have the time, it’s always great to do a trial run either by muslin or a test fabric. It may feel like an extra step but it is worth it to get a finished product that has great fit and finish.

You may have noticed that I’ve been on the search for the “perfect” tunic dress lately. By shear definition, it shouldn’t sound that complicated but I’m looking for a particular fit. Something loose but somewhat fitted around the bodice (i.e. not too boxy), knee length so I can wear it with tights, and I’m on the fence about sleeves or sleeveless.

I’ve been trying a lot of different patterns and recently came across the Bella Dress. It seemed to fit the criteria for my quest so I downloaded it and gave it a try. An extra little feature of this dress that wasn’t on my list, but will be now, is this tunic dress has pockets!

I found this fabric in my stash (it was actually donated fabric from a friend who had decided she would never use it) and I just happen to have enough to cut out all my fabric pieces and use it as a test run. It’s actually kinda cute for a tunic dress. Just enough interest to be able to pair with tights and a cute scarf (in the cooler months, of course).

The construction of this dress is fairly basic. I love apparel sewing on my Janome Skyline S9. This machine is so versatile. One day I can be sewing a dress and the next I can be working on a machine embroidery project. I love how easy it is to use the superior needle threader, and the automatic thread cutter makes projects go even quicker.

After assembling the front and back main pieces of the dress, the collar facing was sewn on. And from there the bias binding was attached to the neckline.

There is one tip I can share about choosing a test fabric: sometimes dark colours can be harder to work with. Especially when using a dark thread. For my test garment, I could have (should have?) chosen a contrasting fabric just to be able to save my eyes from some extra squinting.

This fabric frayed a bit. Thankfully there are many different stitch options on the Janome Skyline S9 that I can use to prevent fraying and finish off the raw edges. The pattern calls for an overlock stitch.  On the Janome Skyline S9, the zigzag stitch is a simple option, but the overedge or the sewing machine version of an overlock stitch are also great alternatives (utility stitch 13 or 17).

And the free arm helped get that cuff hem done right!

Finally, the sleeves were attached at the shoulder. The sleeves on this dress have a little bit of extra ease so a basting stitch with extra long stitch length was used to create a gathering stitch. I set my stitch length to 4.0 for this step.

After easing in the sleeves and a quick hem, my test run on my tunic dress was done!

I’m really glad I did a test run on this dress. What I found was despite measuring to see what size I should need, I actually needed to size down at least one, if not two sizes. So with my chosen fabric, that will be my next project. Although with the right accessories, this test garment is has a future in my wardrobe as well.

Do you do a test run on dress and other apparel patterns? Have you found the perfect tunic dress? And finally, pockets or no pockets?

Facebook Live today with Michael aka Janomeman @ 3pm Eastern

This facebook Live is on Janome America’s facebook page : Janome Sewing Machines at 3pm Eastern. 

Just click on the video tab when the time rolls around and Michael will start his Live. Don’t miss this opportunity to get more good information from Janome America and Michael!

Today’s Topic is:

Serger Blanket Stitch; a demo of using decorative threads, when to use the wire looper threaders included with the Janome AT2000D to thread thicker, decorative threads, and how and when to use the needle threader.

Instagram Live TODAY with Janomeman at 2pm Eastern

Janomeman has another Instagram Live today Friday 29th May at 2pm Eastern where he will talk about I – the Piping foot in his very informative A-Z series.

PLEASE NOTE that this Live is on the @JanomeHQ Instagram page.  

The letter “I” will be today Friday 29th M

Instagram Live TODAY at 1pm Eastern with Celine on Coverhem accessories

INSTAGRAM LIVE TODAY AT 1PM EASTERN ON JANOME CANADA.

Find this Live on @janomecanada – on the Janome Canada Instagram page. 

Celine will show how to use some more of the Janome Coverpro optional accessories – including the elastic attachment. Dont miss it! Join us or watch on IGTV and later on You Tube Janome Life channel.

If you can’t join us at 1pm Eastern, please remember that it gets saved automatically and almost instantly to IGTV and you can then view it any time you want.

We will also post it to our Janome Life YOU TUBE channel under the Instagram Live playlist. But that takes a bit longer as we need to transfer the video, edit and upload it so please be patient. It may take a few days, or longer, depending on our time and other work commitments.

Also: please try not to get frustrated if you can’t find the Live, don’t have an instagram account or miss the time. It WILL be available afterwards on IGTV and You Tube to view so you will NOT lose out!! 

 

Janome America Facebook Live Class with Liz TODAY at 2pm Eastern

Liz will teach TODAY  Thursday 28th May at 2pm Eastern how to make fringe flowers on any of our Janome embroidery machines:

• how to make these fringe flowers
• where to use them
• hints and tips about bobbin cases, needles, stabilizers, thread and more.
• Go to this link at Janome Sewing machines CLASSROOM Facebook Page and you will find the class event as well as the Instructions Notes etc.

If you intend to follow along, make sure you have the supplies listed in the Supply list (on the link above) handy before the class. However, my advice to you is to just watch the Live. The video will be available afterwards to rewatch as many times as you need to complete the project if that is what you decide to do. If you try to do the project during the Live, you may get behind as I can’t see you and so I don’t know whether I’m going too fast for you to keep up.

Do feel very welcome to join me later today at 2pm Eastern as above! 

 

Janome America Facebook Live class tomorrow with Liz at 2pm Eastern: how to make fringe flowers

Liz will teach tomorrow Thursday 28th May about fringe flowers: how to make them, where to use them and hints and tips about bobbin cases, needles, stabilizers, thread and more.  Go to the Janome Sewing machines Facebook Page and scroll down to videos at 2pm Eastern when the class will go live.

If you intend to follow along, make sure you have the supplies listed in the Supply list handy before the class. However, my advice toyou is to just watch the Live and then the video will be available afterwards to rewatch as many times as you need to complete the project if that is what you decide to do. If you try to do the project during the Live, you may get behind as I can’t see you and so I don’t know whether I’m going too fast for you to keep up.

pretty Spring fringe flower from a recent Insatgram Live – video now on Janome Life You Tube channel and janome.ca.

a close up of one of the apricot coloured blooms above

This is the fringe flower which is one of the built-in fringe flower designs found in several of our Janome embroidery machines. However, I edited it in our Artistic Digitizer embroidery software: I tripled the petal part of the design so that it stitched out 3 times on top of each layer…..to make it much fuller and prettier. Was a lot of fun and I like the result although it does take longer to stitch out.

 

Instagram Lives this week with Janomeman

Janomeman has another 2 Instagram Lives this week – tomorrow WED 27th May at 2pm eastern and again on Friday 29th May – also at 2pm Eastern.  He is working through an A-Z of good information for Janome sewers.

H is on Wed 27th May

 

PLEASE NOTE that these Lives are found on the @JanomeHQ Instagram page.  

The letter “I” will be on Friday 29th May